Suburban mail-delivery apparatus.



No. 745,493. PATENTED DBO. 1, 1903. N. s. HOWELL. SUBURBAN MAIL DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION IIILED MAY 25, 1903.

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No. 745,498. PATENTED DEC. 1, 1903. N. .s. HOWELL.

SUBURBAN MAIL DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 25, 1903.

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No. 745.498. PATENTED, DEC. 1, 1903.

N. s. HOWELL. SUBURBAN MAIL DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 25, 1903. N0 MODEL. a SHEETS-SHEET a.

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UNITED STATES I NELSON Patented December 1, 1903.

S. HOWELL, OF CUMMING, IOWA.

susu RBAN MAIL-DELIVERY APPARATUS.

QPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '745,49 8, dated December 1, 1903.

I Application filed May 26, 1903. derial N0.'158,645. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

citizen of ming, in the county of Iowa, have invented a new and urban MaiLDelivery Apparatus, following is a specification.

My object is to save the labor and expense incident to the employment of persons, horses,

: and vehicles in the rural mail-delivery service and to facilitate the transmission of mailmatter by means of machinery without employing individuals as carriers and subjecting them to the exposure of rain, heat, and

1 cold in making daily tours over their deliveryroutes.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of elements and subcombinations, as hereinafter set forth, pointed so outiu my claims, and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view representing a circuit of stations or farm-residences connected with a post-office station'by means of 2 5 an endless the United States, residing at Cum- W'arren and State or useful Subof which the cable that is supported upon fixed posts on which operative devices are combined as required for automatically delivering mailsacks while the endless cable is in motion. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view, 0 partly in section, of a frame detachably fastened to an endless cable and trip mechanism connected therewith adapted for holding and carrying and automatically dropping a mailbag when the cable is in motion. Fig. 3 is a 5 horizontal sectional view of the frame-andtrip mechanism, par'tlyin section, and a box for supporting a mail-bag that is to be automatically connected with the moving cable and carried from a station along the line to 0 the main distributing and receiving station. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a post and metal frame fixed to the post to support rollers and guides for directing the movement of the cable. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of 5 a cast-iron frame adapted to be fixed to a post for supporting rollers. Fig. 6 is a transverse elevation onthe line so or; of Fig. 2 and shows the relative positions of the rollers mountedin the frame fixed to a post, guides 50 for directing the frame detachably fastened to the cable, and the box carried by the frame suspended from the cable.

mail-sacks f to way The numeral 10 (shown in Fig. l) designates a fixed post at a main station for sending out tations and receiving sacks returned from way-stations by means of an endless cable.

A plurality of posts 12 are fixed along the route of delivery, and at each way-station where mail'is to be delivered a receptacle 13 is fixed to the post and adapted in form and position for dropping a mail-sack into it from a carrier suspended from an endless cable that is supported upon rollers mounted on the fixed posts along the line and route.

; A frame 14, preferably cast-iron, complete in one piece, as shown in Fig. 5, is fixed against the tops of posts by means of bolts, and a straight roller 15 mounted in its top portion, as shown in Fig. 6, and two coneshaped-rollers 16 in a lower plane and at the sides of the roller 15, as shown in Fig. 4:, for supporting an endless cable 17, that is extended over the said rollers and coiled around a drum 18, mounted at the top of the post 10, as shown in Fig. 1.

A driver-Wheel 19 is mounted on the post 10 below the drum 18 and connected with the drum by meansof a gear-wheel 20 and chain 21 or in any suitable way as required to impart motion to the drum and cable.

Bars 14; are connected with the ends of a box 22, that constitutes a part of the frame,

and the tops of the ends are adapted in shape to engage the cable 17, and for detachably fastening them to the cable clamping devices 23 are pivoted to the ends of the frame, as shown in Fig. 5, or in any suitable way so the frames can be readily and securely fastened to the cable as required to be carried by the cable.

A box or suspended frame adapted for carryiuga mail-sack must be connected with the cable for each Wa station on the route and each box provided with means for connecting a mail-bag therewith and also provided with trip mechanism for automatically releasing the mail-sack and dropping it into the receiving-receptacle 13 at the station where it is to be delivered. Y i v A rock-shaft 24 in each mail-sack carrier has an arm 25 projecting downward into an open space in the bottom of the box 22 and a detachable elbow-shaped coupling device 26 pivoted to its lower end to project horizontally and to enter the eye 27 of ametal coupling 28, thatis connected with a mail-sack 29 in such a manner that the sack can be suspended thereon, as shown in Fig. 2. A spring 30, fixed to the rock-shaft 24., engages the coupling device 26 as required to normally retain the sack in position as started at the main station. To automatically release a sack thus connected with the box suspended from the cable, a slide 31 is fitted to the rockshaft 24 and provided with a stud 32 to engage a pin 33 on a ratchet-wheel 34, journaled to the inside of the box 22. To actuate the wheel 34 as required to release the coupling device 26, an elbow-shaped lever 34. is pivoted to the box 22 and actuated by a cam 35, fixed to a box at the top of the post 12 in such a manner that an antifrictionroller a on the end of the lever will engage said cam and depress the long arm of the lever as the box 22 is advanced, and a pawl 37 on the short arm of the lever will impart an intermittent motion to the wheel 34, so that the pin 33 in contact with the stud 32 of the slide 31 will push the slide forward on the rock-shaft 24 to release the coupling device 26 to vibrate by the force of gravity in the mail-sack 29 and its contents as required to let the sack drop into the receptacle 13.

To attach a mail-sack 29 at a way-station to be returned to themain station, a box 38 is fixed to the top of each post 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and has an open end and partiallyopen top, as shown in Fig. 3, to admit a mailsack 29 and to retain the eye 27 of the coupling 28 in proper position to admit the free lower end of the double-elbow-shaped device 26 while in a horizontal position to enter the eye 27 as required to connect the sack therewith and suspended thereby as the carrierbox 22 moves over the box 38 and draws the sack out of the box in which it was placed, to be then carried suspended from the box 22 until it reaches the main station or post 10, where it will be automatically released and dropped. Toretain the eye 27 in proper position to allow the end of the device 26 to enter the eye, a holding device 22 is fixed to box 38,. as shown in Fig. 3, or in any suitable way.

To release the sack 29 when it reaches the post 10 at the main station, an elbow-shaped lever 39 is pivoted to the box 22 and its short arm provided with a pin r10 to extend through a bridle 41 on the slide 31 and its long arm projected upward and rearward and provided with an elongated roller 42 on its end to be engaged by the fixed cam 35 as required to operate the slide 31 to release the coupling device 26, so as to allow it to vibrate and drop the sack 29 at the main station.

Having thus described the purpose of my invention and the construction and function of each element and subcombination, the practical operation and utility of the apparatus will be readily understood by persons familiar with the art to which it pertains, and What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, an endless cable supported upon rollers mounted on a line of fixed posts, means for operating the endless cable, a frame fastened to the cable to depend therefrom and a box adapted for carrying a mail-sack fixed to the frame and means for detachably fastening the mail-sack to the box ata main or distributing station, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

2. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, an endless cable supported upon rollers mounted on a line of fixed posts, means for operating the endless cable, a frame fastened to the cable to depend therefrom and a box adapted for carrying a mailsack fixed to the frame, means for detachably fastening the mail-sack to the box at a main distributingstation and trip mechanism connected with the box for automatically releasing a mailsack at a station, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

3. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, an endless cable supported upon rollers mounted on a line of fixed posts, means for operating the endless cable, a frame fastened to the cable to depend therefrom and a box adapted for carrying a mail-sack fixed to the frame, means for detachably fastening the mail-sack to the box at a main or distributing station, trip mechanism connected with the box for automatically releasing a mail-sack at a station and automatic mechanism for detachably fastening a mail-bag to the cable at a way-station, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

4. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, a fixed post, a box, open at its bottom and ends, fixed to the top of the post, a cable extended'through under the top of the box, a box suspended from the cable, a rock-shaft journaled to the ends of the box, an arm projecting downward from the shaft, a double-elbowshaped coupling device pivoted to the lower end of said arm and means for retaining the said shaft and coupling device stationary in the box, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

5. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, a fixed post, a box open at its bottom and ends fixed to the top of the post, a cable extended through under the top of the box, a box suspended from the cable, a rock-shaft journaled to the ends of the box, an arm projecting downward from the shaft, a double-elbowshaped coupling device pivoted to the lower end of said arm, a slide on the rock-shaft having a stud at one end and a ratchet-wheel mounted in the box and provided with a fixed pin to engage said stud, and means to rotate the wheel, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

' 6. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, a fixed post, a box, open at its bottom and ends, fixed to the top of the post, a cable extended through under the top of the box, a box suspended from the cable, a rock-shaft journaled to the ends of the box, an arm projecting downward from the shaft, a double-elbowshaped coupling device pivoted to the lower end of said arm, a slide on the rock-shaft having a stud at one end and a ratchet-wheel mounted in the box and provided with a fixed pin to engage said stud, an elbow-shaped lever pivoted to the box, a pawl pivoted to its short arm to en gage the ratchet-wheel, a rolleron the end of the long arm and a cam fixed to the fixed box at the top of the post to actuate the lever, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

7. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, a fixed post, a box, open at its bottom and ends, fixed to the top of the tended through under the top of the box, a box suspended from the cable, a rock-shaft journaled to the ends of the box, an arm projecting downward from the shaft, a doubleelbow-shaped coupling device pivoted to the lower end 'of said arm, a slide shaft having a stud at one end and a ratchetwheel mounted in the box and provided with a fixed pin to engage said stud, an elbowshaped lever pivoted'to the box, a pawl pivoted to its short arm to engage the ratchetwheel, a roller on the end of the long arm and a cam fixed to the fixed box at the top ofthe post to actuate the lever, a bridle on the end of said slide on the rockshaft, an elbowshaped lever pivoted to the box, the short arm of said lever having a fixed pin to enter said bridle,and the long arm extended through an opening in the top of the box and provided post, a cable exon the rock-- with a roller on its end to engage said fixed cam, arranged and combined to operate in the manner setforth for the purposes stated.

8. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, a fixed post, a metal frame fixed to the post, a straight roller mounted on the central portion of the frame, cone-shaped rollers mounted on the central portion of the frame in a plane below the straight roller and an endless cable having a box suspended therefrom, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

9. In a suburban mail-delivery apparatus, a fixed post, a metal frame fixed to the post, a straight roller'mounted on the central portion of the frame, ed in the frame in a plane below the straight roller and an endless cable having a box suspended therefrom and means for directing the cable and box depending'therefrom relative to said rollers, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

10. A suburban maildelivery apparatus comprising an endless cable, a line of fixed posts for supporting the cable, a main station having a drum mounted at the top of the post, and the cable coiled around the drum, means for rotating the drum, a plurality of posts at way-stations havin g fixed receptacles for mailsacks, open ended boxes fixed to the said posts above said receptacles, boxes suspended from the cable, automatic mechanism in said boxes for detachably connecting mail sacks therewith, mechanism for automatically releasing the mail-sacks and posts having rollers mounted at their tops to support the cable, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

NELSON S. HOWELL.

Vitnesses:

R. H, ORWIG, THOMAS G. ORWIG.

coneshaped rollers n1onnt- 

